Verna and Bob's Weblog

A New Gas Grill for the New Patio

gas-grill.jpg

Ever since we moved to Arizona, I have been using our little portable take-along charcoal grill for outdoor cooking. So, last week we placed an on-line order for a new, yet inexpensive at about $180, outdoor gas grill. The truck delivered the assembled unit this morning, so both days this weekend we’re going to be grilling (and enjoying) our entrées.

Image courtesy of Verna – click to enlarge

I bought a 4.6 Gallon (20 pound) propane bottle this afternoon and got it filled. I did a leak check and fired up the grill for about 20 minutes to burn all the solvents and impurities off of the heating elements, grill, etc.

Here’s the main specs:

GrillMaster 4-Burner Stainless Steel Gas Grill

  • Stainless steel main lid
  • Four 12000 BTU stainless steel tube burners
  • 667 sq. in. cooking area
  • Electronic ignition for easy starts
  • 12000 BTU side burner
  • burger capacity (½ pound) – 35
February 10, 2011 by Arizona Food and Dining Retirement

Shutter Milestone

Today has been a busy day for us. The shutter guys installed our beautiful new shutters as you can see in the slideshow animation. I took photos inside and outside of the knotted wood and the saguaro ribs details on the great room shutters. The wood in the shutters matches our kitchen and bathroom cabinets very closely. You can stop the slideshow by placing your mouse cursor over the images and rolling out to resume.

We also got a landscaping representative out to assess our ground cover and landscaping needs. We will probably move out on landscaping after the contractor finishes the courtyard wall.

February 9, 2011 by Arizona Family Retirement

Courtyard Progress – Grout and Stucco

progress-stucco.jpgThe masons returned yesterday to pour the grout onto the block wall. Today, they returned and finished most of the stucco. They will come back tomorrow and apply another coat of stucco to the arch only to get a more rounded effect. Click on the image to enlarge.

Tomorrow will also mark a milestone of our planned improvements when our shutters will be installed. We’ll have more on that later. And next Monday, we’re going to get our steel security doors installed. Landscaping will be after that. 😀

February 8, 2011 by Arizona Retirement

Mike’s Place

We took a ride up to Congress, AZ today, to arrange for a custom gate for our new courtyard. It turns out that Mike’s place of business is quite a collection of art and things that snap us into the past like this nostalgic garage from the 1920s. We rendered it in sepia to enhance the nostalgia. 😉 Click on the image to enlarge.

mikes-place.jpg

February 7, 2011 by Arizona Classics Photography Retirement

Arizona Sunrise in 3D

3d-sunrise.pngEvery morning, the dogs wake me up like clockwork at the crack of dawn. This morning was no exception. We walked across the road and I noticed the rising sun shining through the branches of a mesquite tree.

I pointed the camera in the direction of the tree and snapped one image then another to be sure. Initially, I did not plan for this to be a 3D photo but when I got the camera loaded into the computer, I noticed the potential for this pair to become an anaglyphic image. I merged the two together to produce this 3D sunrise photo. Click on the image to enlarge.

You will need red/blue or red/cyan 3D glasses to view the image. If, by chance, you don’t have your free pair of 3D glasses yet, you can see the 2D image here.

February 5, 2011 by Arizona Bob's 3D Stuff Photography

Avalon 1998

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